Smart Tips on Finding Your First Professional Job
As a fresh graduate coming out of university life, it is hard to deny the feeling of anxiety over what the future holds. Having invested your time and effort in years of education, some work per-hour experience, and maybe even sleepless nights of thinking “what now”, makes stepping into the real world and finding your first professional job both exciting and frankly, nerve wracking.
Get a grip and leave the worrying behind. It will not do you any good. Getting your first professional job can also be viewed as your first step into your actual career, so focus on an optimistic view of your future and follow these tips on how to get started.
Don’t be a Headless Chicken.
While it is so easy to fall into the trap of mass mailing your resume to a hundred employers, take the adage “Don’t work hard, work smart” to heart. Do your research and look into the application requirements, average hiring salary ranges, peak hiring schedules, and preferred skills of your aspired industry. Application deadlines are different for each one, and sending it out without knowing when is best to do so might just put you under a pile.
Check Your Network.
I don’t mean simply asking daddy for a job. Part of the entire academic experience is building strong relationships with your professors, classmates, family and friends. Leaving the university grounds does not include leaving them. Get in touch with them in an honest and personal manner, and seek mentorship and support from them. There shouldn’t be any shame in asking them to keep you in mind in case they hear of any opportunities as long as you keep it sincere and of course, mutual. The first few steps on your career ladder will be rough, and it would not hurt to have a few people propping you up towards your goal.
If you keep a positive outlook and follow these steps in looking for your first employment, you are sure to get a head start in your career path in no time.
